A prematurely born baby boy is dead, his mother is in a state of shock, and tonight her family is pointing fingers at the Police Department. The story begins on Saturday June 25th, when 31-year-old Kaila Nunez was stopped by police on Hummingbird Avenue in Belmopan where they asked to search her car.
She was six months pregnant and claims police roughed her up and then detained her until Monday morning. On Monday evening after being released, she went into labor and though the baby boy was born alive, three hours later he died. The death certificate says the child died from respiratory distress syndrome but the family says that the premature birth was induced by overzealous and just plain 'chancey' police officers. Keith Swift has the family's side of the story.
Keith Swift Reporting, Email - [keithkswift@gmail.com]
It may look like Kaila Nunez is playing with a doll in this box but this home video taken by her sister Rhenae chronicles the tragic aftermath of what began as an altercation with Belmopan Police and ended in the premature birth of her son.
Rhenae Nunez, Kaila's Sister
"When I saw my sister all bubbly Saturday morning and into the later part of Saturday when she left, she was so excited. She had purchased stuff for the baby and even my mother, everybody, my children, were all around her and were all excited about this baby. And for it to abruptly end like this, none of us could have seen this coming when she left here. She was excited. She saw her son's report card and he had done well in school. She just got a new job and she was so happy."
But the 31 year old's happiness didn't last for long. On Saturday June 25th, she was pulled over by police in Belmopan. It was a routine traffic stop but as her sister explains, since Kaila is still too traumatized to tell you herself, things quickly became heated and Kaila ended up in a confrontation with the officers.
Rhenae Nunez,
"The police came up behind her. She described just seeing the headlights from her rear view mirror because she was sitting in the truck. The police came
and tapped on the glass and that kind of startled her and she lowered the glass and asked what it was. They said they wanted to search the truck and she asked why. They did not give her a response. She came out of the vehicle only to be 'hogtied,' that's the way I describe it because the officer got her hand (Kaila) behind her and then the other one locked the handcuff on her so tight because when I finally saw her on Monday her wrists were indented from the handcuffs. But to go back to what happened, he then put one of his legs between hers and tripped her down; putting her facedown on the ground and requesting another officer to remove her keys from pockets which the officer did. He went in he searched the vehicle and did not find anything and that is when my sister, Kaila Nunez, became belligerent. She was upset now and told them they didn't anything and she gave him the expletive. That was not enough; they took her to the Belmopan 'pisshouse' and held her there from all of Sunday into Monday morning."
The pregnant mother was finally freed after nearly 56 hours in lockdown at the Belmopan Police Station. She was charged with aggravated assault and insulting a police officer. Rhenae says by this time the detention had taken a mighty toll on Kaila and her pregnancy.
Rhenae Nunez,
"She felt like a cessation and thought that it would be okay. She told the doctor she was feeling some relief and she went home. I headed for the bus and I didn't even sit on the for two minutes when my phone rang telling me hurry come back to the hospital because she had just given birth. When I got to the hospital, the sight I saw I was not prepared for. Kaila gave birth shortly after 5 to a baby boy, a beautiful baby boy. His name is Jayvan Evan Casey. He lived for like three hours after and then passed. Since then my sister has been battling physiological problems."
With baby Jahvyn dead and his mother still trying to cope, Rhenae says responsibility lies squarely at the doorsteps of the Police Department.
Rhenae Nunez,
"They had to know she was 6 months pregnant. There's a big stomach in front of this woman. I don't know how anybody could miss that Kaila was pregnant. You had to be a buffoon or something else that you wouldn't know that this woman is pregnant. Kaila is a little slimmer than I am and you had to see that protruding stomach in front of her.
She spent Saturday night, all night, on her feet in the cell because she was not given a sheet or anything to cover with. Finally after being so tired on Sunday she decided to lay down in the cell and she described feeling the baby move and all of that and then Sunday night when it became really unbearable she started asking for help but no assistance was given her. But it is unthinkable that you would have a pregnant woman in a cell and deny her food, water, and medical attention. Like I said Keith, I think its disgusting and its inhumane."
Keith Swift,
What is the condition of your sister right now? In terms of we know that you're preparing to bury the baby.
Rhenae Nunez,
"Not well. I have seen ups and downs, her struggling to keep it together. She needs professional help."
Keith Swift,
Who is ultimately responsible?
Rhenae Nunez,
"The 5 pigs that descended on her in Belmopan."
Strong words and even stronger accusations from a family coping with Jahvyn's premature arrival and departure.
Even though he only lived for three hours, the family has registered baby Jahvyn birth and death. He will be buried tomorrow in Belmopan. Kaila Nunez has one other child, a 12-year-old son. She had only recently started a job as a law clerk.
And as for the police's side, Press officer G. Michael Reid says the Internal Affairs Division is investigating. He did tell us that the police officers had reasonable suspicion to search Kaila Nunez's vehicle. The 5 officers accused are still on duty pending the outcome of that investigation.
